2013 Year In Review

It’s been something of an odd year. Looking back on my 2012 resolutions, I’m somewhat suprised by the mixed level of fail and success. Somethings just didn’t work out, some worked out really well. And some, worked for a bit and then went by the wayside. Oddly enough, a few things I listed in prior years managed to happen.

So, looking at my resolutions and revising them:

1) Restart Dave Ramsey Plan

My employer offered “Core” from Dave Ramsey, Fin and I took it. Overral, we managed to get with the plan and had some success paying off debt and organizing our finances. Our efforts lasted for 3-4 months, but then we got lazy. I think some of the success we felt continued though, and we’ve been doing fairly well on budgeting. We’re also slowly but steadily moving to “debt free”,

2) Make soap again 3) Build mad project laboratory

I’ve got a small start on #3, and #2 has remained stalled out. Largely, this is an issue of space. I’m hoping that we can continue to clear out the house and downsize / organize our collections of stuff.

4) Learn a Bach Fugue

I ended up working through some of Handel’s French Suites, and burned out a bit on Baroque / counterpoint. I dove instead into learning a Beethoven Sonata, and have managed to get the first movement of Op. 2 No. 1 fairly well polished. Really, I think the Bach Fugue might have been slightly amibitious. I’m working on a Sinfonia now, and it’s going fairly well. Perhaps this coming year I’ll look again at a Fugue, provided I don’t get burned out on the Baroque again.

5) Time Lapse Garden Video

This was going very well for several weeks until disaster struck, and the cats destroyed the camera I was using. I’m going to try again this year with an always on solution located out in the garden. Might start the project in January, but I’m debating moving it to “growing season” or similar.

6) Get Back to Writing

Epic Fail. I did start taking another look at a book I’ve been planning on, but the blog has been badly maintained. Fin and I have a few ideas for the new year, we’ll see how it goes.

7) Reorganize the Office

Funny. We accomplished this one, but now it’s back to being a mess again. So, both WIN and FAIL.

8) Take a better vacation in 2013

The office funded a trip for Fin and I to vacation in Cancun. It was awsome. Suprising Win.

9) Excercise 10) Spend less time watching TV

Epic fail, and sorta fail. Really, I think #10 is more symptomatic of my lack of Work/Home balance than the reality of watching signifcant amounts of TV.

Other Interesting Developments:

Fin and I began looking for land, and started work on a plan for moving out of this house.

Fin began breeding rabbits, and we now get eggs fairly regularly from our chickens.

Fin is working with friends to breed meat chickens on their land. We butchered 20+ fairly recently.

Some coworkers and myself formed a “company” band. Sadly, our plans to play at the Christmas party didn’t pan out. However, we’re talking about doing something for another upcoming Holiday.

Meanwhile, I’ve been fairly consumed at the office working, trying to get a product out the door. Sadly, I think my work/home balance has suffered as of late. This is something I’ll try working on for the coming year.

Largely, a lot of things internal to our family have interfered this year, many of which are too personal (or completely off theme) to post here. 2013 has been one of our rougher years, but also, I think, one of the best for our development. Life will move on, and I think Fin and I are stronger for it.